An input device may operate with a variety of different host processor-based systems running a variety of different applications by providing a translation module which translates input commands in one format to a format compatible with one or more applications that may run on a given processor-based system. A table may be provided, for example, in software, which enables a variety of different input device formats to be converted into a variety of formats utilized by an application. In this way, contention between an application and an input device may be resolved.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method comprising: determining which of two applications has focus, each of those applications accepting commands in a format different than the format accepted by the other of the two applications; and translating a command received in a format incompatible with the application having focus into a format compatible with the application having focus.
2. The method of claim 1 including converting a numerical command in a first format to a second format in terms of keystroke combinations.
3. The method of claim 1 including translating the command externally to the application having focus and externally to the other application.
4. The method of claim 1 including receiving the command from a remote control unit.
5. The method of claim 4 including converting the command received from the remote control unit to a format suitable for navigating in a web browser.
6. An article comprising a medium storing instructions that, if executed, enable a processor-based system to perform the steps of: determining which of two applications has focus, each of those applications accepting commands in a format different than the format accepted by the other of the two applications; and translating a command received in a format incompatible with the application have focus into a format compatible with the application having focus.
7. The article of claim 6 further storing instructions that, if executed, enable a processor-based system to perform the step of converting a numerical command in a first format to a second format in terms of keystroke combinations.
8. The article of claim 6 further storing instructions that, if executed, enable a processor-based system to perform the step of translating the command externally to the application having focus and externally to the other application.
9. The article of claim 6 further storing instructions that, if executed, enable the processor-based system to perform the step of receiving the command from a remote control unit.
10. The article of claim 9 further storing instructions that, if executed, enable the processor-based system to perform the step of converting the command received from the remote control unit to a format suitable for navigating in a web browser.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
January 31, 2000
September 2, 2003
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